Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
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| Retail: | $99.99 |
| Savings: |
10% |
| Price: |
$89.99 |
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The Wine
Silver Oak 2003 Napa Valley is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. It was blended in early 2004 and transferred to 100% new American oak barrels for aging. Silver Oak blends prior to barreling to achieve a balance of the wine's natural elements, such as fruit and tannin, before they are influenced by oak. The wine is then aged in barrel for approximately 25 months and another 20 months in bottle to harmonize its components before release.
The 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a complex and concentrated wine that deftly balances intensity and finesse. The wine has a dark garnet color with a deep purple edge, and displays aromas of blackberry jam, dark chocolate, rose petal, black pepper and cedar. In the mouth, the attack is quite rich, expressing notes of brown sugar and nutmeg, and the flavors proceed seamlessly to a long finish of fruit and ripe tannins. Properly cellared, this wine should give drinking pleasure until 2027.
The Growing Region - Napa Valley
It's hard not to think of Napa Valley when thinking of California wines. The region is, after all, the one that brought world recognition to California wine making. The area was settled by a few choice wine families in the 1960's who bet that the wines of the area would grow and flourish. They were right. The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980's, when vineyard lands were scooped up and vines were planted throughout the area. A number of wineries emerged, from large conglomerates to small boutique to cult classics. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux Blends. Whites are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
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Notable Facts:
Within the Napa Valley lie small sub-AVAs that lend even more character specifics to the wines. Furthest south is Carneros, followed by Yountville, then Oakville & Rutherford. Above those two is St.-Helena and finally, while not yet an AVA, Calistoga. These areas are situated on the valley floor and are known for creating rich, smooth Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots and Chardonnays. There are a few mountain regions as well, nestled on the sides of the above valley AVAs. Those include Howell Mountain, Stags Leap and Mount Veeder. Wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, yet also with a pronounced elegance.
About California:
It's not rare to see a wine's country of origin listed as "California." A country into itself in the wine world, California makes enough varieties and styles to match many European wine countries. While it must settle for being only a state, that does not affect the high quality and diversity of its wines.
The most famous of the California wine regions is Napa Valley, and these wines are certainly outstanding – but watch out, because Sonoma County is catching up to its overshadowing neighbor. Down south, the Santa Barbara's Santa Maria Valley is finding that some Rhne style grapes and even Pinot and Chardonnay are able to do well. The Central Coast, the largest California AVA, has many different microclimates that lead to a wide range of wines with many sub-AVAs.
Wine Review Profile
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80% Thumbs Up (5 users) |
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